About Foodnet
Our Mission, Vision, & History
Our Mission
Foodnet Meals on Wheels’ mission is to provide meals and other nutrition services that promote dignity, well-being and independence for older adults and other persons in need in Tompkins County.
Our Vision
We envision a Tompkins County community in which senior hunger is eliminated, supportive services are readily accessible, and our neighbors enjoy independence without isolation.
What Makes Us Different
Foodnet Meals on Wheels is the only local agency that delivers hot meals directly to clients.
We have a Registered Dietitian that provides meal planning, nutrition assessment, counseling, and education.
We deliver your meals directly to your door, or at our congregate meal site at Titus Towers in Ithaca.
For some home delivery clients, the Foodnet driver may be the only person they see all day. Drivers provide a safety check along with a friendly face and connection to the wider community.
History
In Ithaca, delivery of hot meals to shut-ins was started in 1967 by a volunteer group of local church women. In 1974, a congregate meal program called the Tompkins County Nutrition Program for the Elderly was established, authorized under the Older Americans Act and funded through the Tompkins County Office for the Aging. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and the Salvation Army operated the program in the early years. The program grew and became an independent non-profit organization named Foodnet in 1987; organized by a group of concerned citizens to provide congregate and home delivered meals and to promote independent living. The local Meals on Wheels program was consolidated under Foodnet Meals on Wheels in December 2000.